Hard News Story: Graduation: Stress on Parents

As the end of the 2010 senior year is quickly approaching, students begin to get anxious for graduation and everything that comes with it. However, seniors are not the only people that are stressing about this time of year. Some parents would go as far to say that they're feeling the same, if not more stress as their student. Parents of students in general have big responsibilities, but its senior year, (especially the spring months) can become very busy, very fast.

For most parents, planning the graduation party and being involved in the senior committee is their biggest undertaking after the application process. Eastview senior parent, Bridget Handke says there were a few important events that she wasn’t expecting as her oldest daughter is the first to go through the graduation process. Bridget says she, “didn’t expect to have to start the party planning so early” and was advised to pick a date early on. For some kids, its easy to bypass the stress of planning their graduation party and leave it up to their parents, but the moms and dads are feeling the pain outside of the house as well. Bridget says she’s feeling “pressure from relatives wanting to know the date so they can plan their summer activities around it”. So far, the Handkes have settled the weekend of the grad party and have ordered tables and chairs. Their family is still working on the details of planning and feeling the urgency to get it done, but parents who have already had a child go through the graduation process don’t seem to be quite as strained about the event. Another senior parent, Jenni Kistner says she feels less stress of the graduation process and events as this is her second round. “I know more what to expect and the time it takes.”. Her oldest, who graduated from Eastview in 2007, decided that he wanted his mom to do all the planning, but her youngest is more involved in the process which takes a bit of the stress of for both of them. As for the Kistners, they’ve already ordered chairs, tables, and a smoothie machine. They plan on getting their invitations sent out this month, and all the food planned out by the end of May. Both Bridget and Jenni are involved in the senior party committee. Jenni and Bridget are both involved in the senior party committee. Both are involved on the ticket sale committee. Jennie has a large role in the committee and helps with tickets, managing the party, sales and much, much more. She promote the grad party in announcements, at lunchroom sales, in local papers, on district TV station; “Sells and collect tickets, turn checks over to treasurer, keep a list of all who reserved a ticket. , post list online, Order wristbands and print out labels for night of party to put on wristbands, Print schedule of events, Stuff lanyards with schedule, casino $, raffle tickets to hand out to kids, print out guidelines of party letter and put on chairs before grad rehearsal and go over expectations, Be in charge of getting all kids in the event quickly and efficiently, call parents of kids who don't show, makes sure kids who need scholarships for the ticket know how to get them, Go to monthly meetings and coordinate duties with rest of committee.”.

For most parents, the graduation process is bitter sweet. You’re preparing to send away your child for months on end, but before that is the hassle of planning and busy weeks. As for the Handkes, Bridget is doing most of the planning. As she deems herself as one to not be excited about planning, she sees the event as more of a task but is, “neither looking forward to it nor dreading it.”.